04 - The Three Stooges - 2011 By Pastor Jeff Wickwire Notes

Jude—Postcards from the Past

Part 4

“Jude’s 3 Stooges”

Last time in Jude 5-7 we continued in our look at three illustrations Jude draws from the Bible—one from the pilgrim age, the second from the primeval age, and the third from the patriarchal age.

Jude now turns from his 3 illustrations of apostasy to state some broader principles that apply in all ages. He will show how apostasy undermines the standards and morals of society. The apostate, having trampled underfoot the great biblical truths and doctrines of Scripture, has no problem with scorning the laws and morals of human society.

LIFE PRINCIPLE: No one is an island. The way we live affects not only ourselves for bad or good, but also the society in which we live.

First, Jude exposes their sordid vices:

“Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.”—Jude 8

They are “dreamers,” says Jude, that say and do monstrous things in their pornographic fantasies. They literally become dead to all sense of decency. They don’t just defile “their” flesh, they defile “the” flesh, all flesh. No form of immorality is exempted.

Jude next looks at their seditious views. “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority…” The word reject is taken from a Greek word meaning “to displace,” “to set aside,” “to disregard.” Jesus used the same word when He said, “He that rejects me…has one that judges him” (John 12:48). It can also mean “to count as nothing.”

The word authority refers to lordship, power and dominion, whether angelic or human. It can be rendered “government.” The brand of apostasy mentioned here disregards and seeks the overthrow of governments. Its followers disrespect government and promote sedition against lawful authority, which has been given to us by God for our own safety and protection (see Rom. 13: 1-7).

The Soviet Union would be a good example of this kind of thing. In its communistic drive for world conquest, it sponsored terrorism, insurrection, riot, civil disobedience, arson, armed rebellion, and war. No country was safe. Communism was born in the brain of Karl Marx, an apostate from both Judaism and Christianity.

Having described their sordid vices and their seditious views, Jude mentions their scornful voices. “Likewise also these dreamers…speak evil of dignitaries.” The expression “speak evil” comes from the word blasphemy and means “to rail at or to revile.” It refers to insolent, abusive, and humiliating language. It is used, for instance, of those who railed at Christ (Matt.27:39), and of those who speak contemptuously of God or of holy things. Jude speaks of coming judgment for this very thing:

“The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”—vs.15

The word for “dignitaries” refers to those who should command our respect and recognition, who occupy high positions. This kind of verbal abuse of those in high places is utterly characteristic of our day. Movies such as The Last Temptation of Christ openly revile the Lord Jesus. This and other examples abound in our day.

Jude, by the Spirit of God, next reveals the battle that occurred between Satan and Michael the Archangel over the body of Moses.

“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”—vs. 9

He points out that even Michael, when confronting the fallen Archangel, Lucifer, dared not bring against him “a judgment of slander (railing).” If Michael would not do thus against a totally fallen being, then mankind should be very careful what we say about divine and sacred things, and about God’s earthly delegated authorities.

Jude next exposes the foolish nonsense of the apostates:

“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know…”—vs.10a

What characterizes the apostate is his colossal ignorance of spiritual things. He may be very educated, smart, and worldly wise, but a godly trash collector knows more about the things of the Spirit of God that does he. Remember, the apostate is often a person of great personal charisma and charm. They can be witty, knowledgeable, degreed, and suave. But they are ministers of the deep things of Satan, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and false apostles masquerading as ministers of light.

Jude not only exposes their foolish nonsense, but also their fallen nature:

“…and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.”—vs.10b

This passage underlines the drift of the apostate toward open mockery of spiritual things. They are utterly given to the lusts of the lower, fallen nature and are no different from animals in a forest, brute beasts in the wild.

The distinguishing mark of the apostate is that God simply leaves him to himself. Three times in Romans 1 we are told that “God gave them (apostates) up” to their lusts. A person in that condition is in dire peril. This is the condition of the people Jude describes. They are corrupting themselves with each passing day. His own inborn, natural corruption will prove to be his own eternal undoing.

Jude now goes back to the Bible. The incorrigible nature of Adam’s fallen race is so complete that scores of illustrations of apostasy can be found in the Old Testament alone. Jude has already mentioned three parallels to apostasy: Israel, the fallen angels, and pagan society. Now he finds three biographies: Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

The apostasy of Cain shows how apostasy attacks the salvation of God; in the apostasy of Balaam, we see how apostasy attacks the sovereignty of God; and in the apostasy of Korah, we see how apostasy attacks service of God.

“Woe!” Jude says, “Woe to them!” This is the first of all of the end-time woes. The word “woe” sounds out again and again in the Apocalypse (Book of Revelations). “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth…”—8:13 All of these woes stem from the apostasy of Christendom in the end times, as Jude so clearly foresaw, and it is now upon us in full tide.

The first of the 3 portraits is of Cain, the first person ever born on this planet. “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain…”

Cain was essentially a religious man. He saw at least some need for God. But he was unteachable. He refused to approach God on God’s terms; which was shedding the blood of a lamb. Instead, he invented a system of religion based on his own ideas and efforts.

In doing so, Cain became the father of all false religion. (Interestingly, he was too refined to slay a lamb but quite willing to slay his brother.) This is the core and hallmark of all false, apostate religion. It denies God’s revealed Word on the subject of salvation and expresses revulsion at the truth that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Heb.9:22).

God rejected Cain’s offering because it was in direct disobedience to the revealed will of God. We can either take God’s way to salvation, or we can go Cain’s way, which includes any and all false avenues to God. Jesus said, “I am the way…” Cain said, “I’ll do it my way.”

PRINCIPLE: Any attack on God’s revealed way of salvation—faith in the shed blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ—is apostasy. It is the way of Cain.

Jude now includes another man in his pronouncement of woe. “Woe to them! For they…ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.”

The phrase “ran greedily” means literally “to be poured out” or “to rush tumultuously.” It speaks of passion, of giving up one’s self to something. The word for “error” is from a word meaning “to make to wander” or “to lead astray” from doctrine or morals. What Jude is pointing to is a lust for money, money at any price, even though it involves the destruction of the beliefs and behavior of others.

Balaam was just such a man. Balaam was a soothsayer, what we would call today a psychic. His reputation had spread as a spiritist. His story begins with the Wilderness wandering Hebrews having reached the borders of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, was deathly afraid of them. He opposed the Hebrew settlement of Canaan as passionately as the Arab states today oppose the reborn state of Israel.

Balak decided to try to stop them, not with war, but with sorcery. He wanted Balaam to curse them and offered him money to do so. Balaam made four attempts to curse the Hebrews and to earn what the Bible calls “the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15).

Each time, to Balaam’s consternation and to King Balak’s mounting fury, God changed the curse into a blessing. Balaam could see his chance for big bucks taking wings and flying away. This is when he made his infamous suggestion to the pagan King:

“My lord king, there’s more than one way to accomplish your goal. Since you cannot curse them, I suggest you corrupt them. Use the temple harlots. I guarantee you, my lord, that their God will judge them if you just entangle them in immorality.”

His evil advice succeeded. Israel fell before the temptation, and came under the judgmental hand of God. Balaam collected his wages and enjoyed the fruits of his wickedness, but only for a season. Shortly after his evil actions, he died under Joshua’s avenging sword. Balaam had known of God, but had used his knowledge of God as a means of making money, no matter who it hurt.

PRINCIPLE: As Christians, our high allegiance should be to Christ and our priceless walk with Him. We should never compromise our convictions in order to make money. This is the road to an apostate life.

One more man remains for Jude’s pronouncement of woe. “Woe to them!” Jude says, “for they have…perished in the gainsaying of Korah.”

Korah was a Levite, a member of the tribe set apart by God to minister to the spiritual needs of O.T. Israel. He was a cousin of Moses and Aaron (Exod.6:18-21). Jude accuses him of “gainsaying,” which is “to contradict” and implies vigorous opposition.

Jude also tells us that Korah “perished,” meaning “final ruin and destruction, to destroy completely.” It is the opposite of eternal life, and describes the eternal woeful condition of the lost in the hereafter.

Korah’s problems began with being dissatisfied with his place in life. He had become very jealous of Moses and Aaron, of God’s appointed prophet and God’s anointed high priest. He could not understand why he could not be a priest as well. Who were they, after all, to hold the highest positions in Israel!

Korah decided to lead a rebellion against Moses along with two accomplices—Dathan and Abiram. He disdained what God had to say about the spiritual leadership of Israel. His philosophy was “One man is as good as another.” He, Korah, was as good as Moses and Aaron!

God did an extraordinary thing to demonstrate once and for all that His choices are to be respected. Moses ordered Korah, Dathan and Abiram to the Tent of Meeting. After they had gathered:

“The ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.”—Numbers 16:28-33

Cain’s false religion, Balaam’s lust for money, and Korah’s rebellion against God’s order are all examples of the characteristics of apostasy.

Next time we will see that Jude adds to his four parallels and three biographies a series of three pictures.

Next time: THREE SIZZLNG SNAPSHOTS